With the introduction of direct-to-home satellite broadcast television systems, such as Direct Broadcast Satellite (DBS) systems, a multitude of television programs, audio channels, and the like previously unknown with terrestrial (“over-the-air”) broadcast systems was made accessible to millions of potential subscribers. One aspect of such systems that allows such wide accessibility is the use of a small (e.g., less than one meter in diameter) and inexpensive satellite antenna, or “dish”. To effectively employ such an antenna, a subscriber merely provides direct line-of-sight between the dish and the satellites of interest, and supplies a stable mounting platform or base to which the antenna is mounted, such as the exterior of the subscriber's home. The latter requirement helps prevent the antenna from becoming misaligned or misdirected as the result of strong winds or other meteorological conditions, which may cause disruption of the satellite signal carrying the programming.
In many cases, a subscriber may determine that a rail or similarly-configured structure conveniently located in the vicinity of the proposed location for the receiver is desirable as a mounting base for the antenna. While such a rail may provide a stable structure to which an antenna may be mounted, the subscriber may desire to attach the antenna thereto without drilling holes in the rail, or otherwise significant damage on the rail. Further, the diameter of each rail potentially utilized as an antenna mounting base may vary widely from one subscriber premises to another, thus rendering the ability to provide a single attachment structure for mounting an antenna to such a rail.
A first type of antenna mount has been disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 8,081,139, issued on Dec. 20, 2011, by Jason S. Schmidt, David Lettkeman and Eric Bolze, entitled “Structures and Methods for Mounting an Antenna.” The antenna mount includes individual three components, i.e. first, second and third components. One rail is held between the first component and the third component, and another rail is held between the second component and the third component. A foot section for mounting to an antenna is attached to the third component on an opposite side from the rails. This antenna mount allows to attach the antenna to the rails. The antenna is relatively large in size and uses more materials in fabricating the first, second, and third components and thus is relatively expensive.
A second type of antenna mount has been disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 20110083399, filed on Oct. 13, 2009, by David Lettkeman and Kevin S. Holle, entitled “Structures and Methods for Mounting An Object.” This type of antenna mount uses a chain to mount the antenna to a rail. Although the second type of antenna mount is simpler than the first type of antenna mount, the second type of antenna mount is still relatively complicated and expensive.
It is desirable to design simpler clamp devices for attaching an antenna to a rail with reduced product cost. Thus, there remains a need for developing alternative clamp devices.